Justin B. Terry-Smith has been involved in Gay and HIV Activism since 1999. He is a Air Force 9/11 Disabled Vet. Raised in Silver Spring, MD, he now lives in Severn, MD with his husband Phil. He writes an HIV/STI Advice Column for A&U Magazine and is a Contributing writer for thebody.com. He earned an AA in Communications, a BA in Political Science, Masters and Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease.

Justin's HIV Journal

Monday, July 6, 2009

Justin's HIV Journal: Artomatic 2009

Hello Everyone,

Having HIV doesn’t mean that you have to give up on your dreams, hopes or goals. When I was younger one of my dreams was to get up enough courage to actually perform on stage. I never had the courage to do so. When I was in high school I was in Pitt Band and never really got enough balls to put myself out there. In Elementary School I remember a bad experience that I had when I was doing a school play. It was a little hard to get past it.

With youtube you can always go back and edit, it isn’t that simple on stage. On stage if you make a mistake you have to move on and pretend like nothing happened or adlib your way through it.

I was called by Alan Sharpe, Director and Playwright of the African American Collective Theatre (ACT). It was an honor when he asked me to be apart of his short play/reading “All Over Him”. He cast me to play “Eric”, the main character. He said for me to have the part it would depend on my availability. I didn’t want to disappoint him, so I took it and ran with it. Below you find a brief description of Artomatic.

Comment and let me know how I did. ;-)

I would just like to say Thank you Mr. Alan Sharpe, Mr David A. Richardson, and Kendell K. Lee. Also thank you to all the actors in the ACT that made me feel so warm and welcome THANK YOU.

The reading was to be put on at Artomatic’s 10 Anniversary in Washington DC. Artomatic is a month-long art festival in DC that is free to the general public celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Monument Realty and the Capitol Riverfront BID have provided a brand-new 275,000 square foot building to host Artomatic, right next to the Nationals Stadium. The event features nine floors of visual and installation art, theater performances, dance and comedy, three music stages, street performances such as fire dancing and drum troupes, and a film screening theater. Workshops and seminars are held all month long and special events such as the Washington Post's Peeps diorama finalists, the Zombie Prom, Box Racing, body paint shows, and a no-holds-barred Art in Fashion Show.

With four stages, four bars and a lounge on each floor, the 10th Anniversary Artomatic is bigger than ever. 52,500 people attended Artomatic last year, and 70,000 are expected this year. Over 1,000 visual artists and 600 performing artists are exhibiting this year.

Artomatic is a creative community that collaborates to produce and present a free arts spectacular. Participation is open to all, from recognized artists to undiscovered talents, who work in a variety of arts forms. In partnership with the development community, Artomatic transforms unused building space into a playground for expression, serves as a catalyst for community growth in up-and-coming neighborhoods, and helps to grow the creative economy.

Artomatic was originally conceived as a way to break down the geographical and social segmentation of the Washington arts scene, to bring art directly to the public and to build cohesion among artists. Artomatic provides a forum for all of our area's artists to convene, perform and exhibit, strengthening the visibility, cohesion and marketplace of the arts community.

Justin B Terry-Smith

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About Justin B Terry-Smith

My name is Justin B Terry-Smith, I'm a Black Gay man living in Laurel, Maryland and I am HIV+. I've decided to share my story because I feel it's important that people who have unprotected sex know what they might be getting themselves into. People have asked me why I am doing this, why have I put my personal business out like this. I tell them it is to help educate people, to make them aware and to make them think twice about having unprotected sex. This is my personal journey that needs to be told to help the community.
HIV is neither glamorous or a rite of passage. Watch the Journal and think twice.
In the words of Pedro Zamora, "I'm not dying. I'm living with it"